Beric watched her closely and took a few steps until he was in front of her. "You do know this is to the death? And that your pet here will suffer the same fate as you?" his voice was as smooth as silk.

"I understand," she replied.

The Hound had to step in. "You're fucking mad if you do this!" he roared at her.

Some people in the crowd became angry as a person pushed through to reach the open area. Myrna watched as Brenda tried to run towards them but people held her back. "I won't allow it!" she screamed, trying her best to break free. "Myrna, don't do this!" she cried out.

"He is innocent and I will free him!" Myrna shouted back. She gave Beric a stern look and he nodded, pulling out his sword and laying it at her feet. He gave a command to Thoros to give up his own sword so it would be used for Beric's champion. Myrna was anxious to find out who her opponent was, but it was unlikely for it to be anyone she knew. Over Brenda's wails Beric looked upon them and eyed a particular man. He curled his finger towards him signaling the man to walk over. The man was huge, almost as tall as The Hound but he had a meaner look to him. He had no hair on top of his head but a long beard with braids intertwined within it. He wore no armor but some rags and breeches and some worn out boots from traveling.

The man towered over Beric and frowned. "Do you have a problem fighting this lady, Arthur?" he asked.

His glassy green eyes inspected her. "The Mountain raided my village. Raped my pregnant wife. Killed her and my unborn child. If this little one wishes to defend his blood then I will squeeze that pretty neck and take pleasure in sending her to one of the seven hells," he boomed.

Myrna felt something come at her from her side and peered up at The Hound who was panting and trying to find something to say. "Don't..." he began, shaking his head. Sweat dripped off his face and his eyes darted back and forth between hers.

"Remember when you asked me if I had ever used my dagger?" she asked him softly.

His mouth tightened and he shook his head. "That man will kill you. He's almost as big as I am," he hoarsely whispered back, dismissing what she asked him. "Back down. It's better than both of us dying," he said in a surprisingly kind tone despite the dryness of his throat.

"Maybe I've been training to kill giant men for the past eight years," she replied sharply.

The Hound blinked with surprise and she broke off her gaze as she approached Beric and the man. The crowd was throwing slanders at her. Every name in the book was said about her but she knew they were just trying to hurt her fighting spirit. They wanted her to die so The Hound would follow her.

"Myrna, please..." she heard Brenda plead once more but she dismissed it.

Arthur picked up Thoros' sword and gave it a few swings as Beric gave them both a curt nod and stepped away. Myrna's sword still laid at her feet. Her eyes examined every inch of him and tried to pinpoint his weak spots. His reach is longer than mine, but I can still do this... she watched him practice his deadly blows. Then he finally began marching towards her. When Myrna walked around her sword and faced him empty handed most gasped, and some laughed. She heard The Hound and Brenda clamor angrily but she blocked them out. With two hands Arthur raised his sword high and yelled out as he slammed it straight down where she stood, but she charged to the right and avoided the blow. Before he picked his sword up she stepped close to him and gave a sharp strike on his wrist. Arthur yelped and shook his wrist, only one hand holding onto the sword but she was cautious and backed away for now. Some people laughed at that. He grabbed his sword again with two hands but she could see his left hand did not grip so well anymore. Once again he raised the sword high and made the same mistake again. When Myrna dodged she was able to land another strike on the same hand. This time he cried out from not being able to feel his hand.

Deciding to take a chance this time, Myrna tried to strike his right hand but he picked up the massive sword with just that single hand. Gasping, she crouched down quickly when she saw the sword coming at her from a sideways swing. She felt the blade cut the air above her head. Then he raised the sword and it landed where she had been crouching seconds ago; she rolled over more to the right and near his ankles.

Sweat dripped in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away before hitting two strikes in a row at one of his kneecaps. Myrna backed away quickly as he collapsed on the knee she punctured with her fingers and he held himself up with his sword. The way she had backed away was clumsy and with a cry she landed on her rear and saw that her strikes were not enough to paralyze his knee. Now the crowd was really riled up and they encouraged Arthur to go after her now. Arthur stood back up while grunting loudly and he cried out when he used his good hand to raise his sword. All the veins in that arm were popping out. Myrna felt the blade Beric gave her from behind and she quickly snatched it and grabbed the hilt and laid the flat of the sword on her other hand to attempt to block the strike.

"Myrna, no!" she heard Brenda wail.

"Kill her! The Hound has to die!" the Stark girl cried out to the man from the other end of the cave.

The sword came down with a loud clang and the swords screeched as the steel blades scraped against the other. Myrna clenched her teeth and her arms shook violently as she positioned her sword where she needed it so Arthur's blade would not reach her face. The man walked closer to her and he now had two legs on either side of her and he lifted up the sword to try and get another good swing. When he lifted his sword Myrna threw her foot up and thrusted it in his crotch area. He lost his sword and with his good hand grabbed himself while yelling in pain. Again, she used her foot and with the heel of her boot she sent it flying at his hand that held his crotch. She heard a crack and he yelled again now looking at his hand that was now broken. Angry, he lifted his foot and stomped on her stomach hard. Myrna howled in pain and tried to find a nerve to pinch but the nearest one was out of reach. The giant scar on her back was in agony from being rubbed against the uneven, rocky cavern ground. His teeth bared down at her as he continued to dig his foot deeper into her stomach. Having no other choice, Myrna used the sword as best she could while having the air pushed out of her but her swing was too weak.

The sword was heavy and it came crashing down at her side, but she still held on. Arthur began to laugh. "This is what you deserve for defending trash like a Clegane," he sneered, the light from the flames bounced off his shiny bald head and his nose was dripping with sweat.

Myrna stared at his heavy foot that pinned her to the ground. If she could not swing the sword, she could use it the other way. Looking back up at him, she smiled despite the distress on her body and pulled the sword close to his ankle. When he saw that she was about to slide it across his skin he immediately pulled his foot away but Myrna threw her lower body up and grabbed his ankle with her thighs, and twisted. The bone in his ankle popped and he cried louder than he ever did during the trial. Myrna rolled over and crawled away while still holding onto the sword, coughing and gasping for air.

"Kill that cunt!" she heard The Hound boom from the edge of the open area where he stood. "Don't let him get back up!"

When she felt like she could stand, she used the sword to help her up while wheezing and she turned around to look at Arthur. Both his hands were useless, and his broken ankle disabled him from walking. She slowly walked towards him, sword dragging behind her. The crowd began yelling, and she couldn't tell if they were for her or against her. It didn't matter. Arthur was a dead man.

He laid on his back and held his pathetic hands over his head. The man was shaking from the fear of dying, but she did not care. Myrna held the sword as high as she could, and she swung it down with all her might. The blade cut through his hand, but only went halfway through his skull. his arms went limp and fell to his sides. Myrna put her foot on the man's chest and pulled it out, dark blood streaming out of the man's head and hands. It was not good enough. Once again she lifted the bloody sword in the air and screamed loud when she swung it into the already opened skull and this time she felt the back of the head. It slid out with ease.

"No...!" she heard the Stark girl's voice over the others. Her vengeance was taken from her.

The hilt of the sword slipped from her hands and it fell to the ground with a clink. It was over with and she held her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. Her stomach felt ill from breathing in the scent of blood and probably from the man's boot being so buried in her. She tried to remember the last time she had a challenge like this. Years, perhaps. Her knees burned from all the movement and the wet cavern ground looked as comfortable as any bed she'd seen. After she regained stamina she finally began to sense what was happening around her. She gathered her frizzy damp curls and threw them over one shoulder as she gave The Hound a proud look. His mouth was slightly open as if he had never seen a lady kill a man, but there was also relief in his eyes.

"Tell me your name," Beric's voice boomed louder than she had ever heard. Myrna averted her eyes for a few seconds and decided she had no choice but to obey.

She faced Beric and looked him in the eye. "My name is Myrna of House Beaumont," she answered loudly.

"Beaumont..." Beric tasted her family name. Him and Thoros looked at each other at the same time with the same look on their face. Beric gave Myrna back his attention. "The younger sister of Nicholas Beaumont?"

Myrna looked over at Brenda but she shook her head. If she never told him, then how? "And how do you know my brother?" she carefully questioned him.

"I was there at the capital when The Mountain and his party returned from your home to anoint your brother. No one had ever seen him so angry. All he said was 'Nicholas' over and over again. 'Nicholas... Nicholas...' Soon we learned that this Nicholas is the only man to have ever belong to The Mountain and leave with his head on his shoulders. His treachery was paid with The Mountain burning his home to the ground... and the younger sister was missing and was most likely thought to be dead in a ditch but here she stands before us," Beric smiled for the first time.

Her eyes went to the ground. He may have known more than anyone else, but not the whole story. Still, she felt naked. That was too much about her and too many ears heard. "Are we free to go?" she looked back up as she changed the subject.

Thoros swiftly went to Beric's side and spoke softly but still loud enough for everyone to hear. "The Mountain had Lannister's search for her all this time. He wants her and will most likely look for her again. She's the best bait we've ever had. Think about it..." he urged Beric.

"Myrna is not bait for my brother!" The Hound roared. "You wanted trial by combat and she won. Now let us leave before I shove a sword up your sorry arses," he threatened as if he were free already.

It was the first time Myrna heard The Hound say her name aloud, and he was so quick to defend her. It felt sweet and it made her heart beat faster. She stared at him and he noticed, and he averted his gaze so he could continue glaring at the men who held them.

Then she looked to Brenda when she noticed that she had been quiet. Brenda's face darkened, probably because of the talk of Nicholas. How much did Brenda know?

"The Lord of Light freed them for a reason, Thoros. We cannot keep them any longer," Beric decided.

Men rushed towards them. As quick as they had taken the bags off their heads they were right back on, but they did not retie Myrna up. Strong hands held onto her and now it was an uphill climb to exit the cave which was even worse than going downhill. Often her feet would slip from the slick ground they were on and she would land on her knees. The hands holding onto her would roughly pick her up and keep her going. Then they were thrown onto the same wagon again once they reached flat ground. Her clothes were becoming damp and she felt drops on her exposed skin. When Myrna asked where they were dropping them off no one would reply. She felt like she was talking to a wall.

The ride away did not feel as long as the ride there but it was just as uncomfortable, and more wet. The only good thing was that it was a light rain. No matter if her eyes were open or shut, everything around her was black. She calmed herself by closing her eyes, pretending there was a world to be seen if she were to open them. Brenda's face kept appearing. It had been a long time since she saw her, and seeing her again refreshed her memories of Brenda. It was her pretty Dornish face that helped her greatly in her profession and she remembered the day Nicholas introduced her to Brenda, the first person of Dornish descent she had ever met. Dark skinned, tall and busty was as exotic as one woman could be in the North. Brenda had used her charm to immediately make Myrna glad to be her future sister, but it had been a different story with their parents. Charm was not enough to marry a noble lord's son.

The wagon halted to a stop rather gently and it bounced when someone came to swipe the bag off her head and throw her off. Myrna landed on her knees and hands, and as she stood back up she wiped the mud on her hands off on her breeches. Her attention was first directed to the sound of hooves walking around the wagon.

"Stranger," Myrna smiled despite being treated like trash. It was hard to believe they were giving their horse back to them and he had everything they left on him.

The Hound was pushed off after her, and he fell hard to the ground with his limbs still tied down. He did not take that as lightly as she had. Stranger neighed loudly when he landed as if he knew that was The Hound. Myrna ran to his side and helped him sit up straight and saw her dagger land next to them. When she looked up she saw Anguy smile down at her as the wagon rolled away. "Blades were never my thing," he called to them while raising up his bow to aim an arrow at them. "If you untie him before we're out of sight, you'll die!" he had to say louder now for them to hear him.

Silently they watched them roll away, Myrna with a hand on The Hound's shoulder as she crouched next to him. Once they disappeared over a hill she reached for her dagger and began to cut at the ropes binding his arms down. He watched her cut the final strand and he exhaled loudly once he moved his arms around for the first time. Myrna stood up and backed away to give him room to push himself up and stretch. He had his back turned to her and he went to rub Stranger's nose. Myrna wasn't so sure of what to say so she just stood there fiddling with her dagger.

The Hound mounted Stranger and looked to her as he pulled out his cloak from the sack he kept on Stranger. Rain became coming down more rapid. "Let's get moving," he ordered.

She walked over next to Stranger and grabbed onto The Hound's hand as he lifted her up in front of him. The Hound handed her the cloak she wore when they first left King's Landing and she quickly wrapped it around herself. Her legs dangled off the edge and she wrapped an arm around his waist. The Hound kicked Stranger's side and they trotted down the road that had tall pine trees on either side. Soft fog rolled by due to the rain which hindered their sight. Worry came over her once she started to realize that they barely had any money left and they didn't have as much supplies or food anymore thanks to the Brotherhood. Considering how quiet The Hound was, she figured he had that realization awhile back. Perhaps they could find a place to lodge, a village that would be fine with them moving in for the winter. Most knew about The Hound, though, and Myrna figured it would be difficult to find a place that would welcome him. They had to think of a plan. There was no way they could survive in the winter by just camping wherever they ended up when the sun set.

"That was stupid of you," he finally rasped.

Myrna kept looking down the road and all she saw was a wall of white between the trees. "No one else would have been your champion. I had no choice," she replied.

"Still..." he trailed off. "Don't throw your life away so easily. Especially for me," he continued.

"Maybe you're my only friend," she said sadly.

He made a scornful sound. "That Dornish whore back there seemed friendly enough towards you," he claimed. "What was all that about anyway?"

"It was just as she said. She was to marry my brother Nicholas," she murmured.

He remained quiet for a minute as if he was thinking. "All of a sudden this Nicholas is everywhere. Even Beric mentioned him and my brother along with it. And if it's true that my brother wants yours dead..."

"I don't really want to talk about our brothers," Myrna became snippy.

"All I'm saying is that one day I'm going to put an end to my brother. Then yours will no longer be in danger. Doesn't that make you happy?" he croaked as they came to a fork on the road. The Hound made a quick decision and picked a path without even stopping Stranger. "That can be my payment for you," he added more softly.

Her eyes shyly went to the ground. He could not know, so she did not get angry at him. When she was looking down at the muddy road they were on she realized he was following the fresh tracks from the wagon they had been riding on. She doubted that was a coincidence. Myrna held her tongue and let him pursue them for awhile longer. The day was getting shorter and soon they would need to camp before it became dark and foggy. Chances were they wouldn't be able to catch up and for Myrna that would be preferable. They had enough trouble with the Brotherhood.

As she expected, The Hound slowly made Stranger come to a stop when there was a clearing next to them. He nudged her side and she lifted herself off of Stranger first. Most of their belongings they had left were wrapped up behind The Hound. When he swung his leg over and lifted himself down he grabbed what was left of their belongings and there was hardly anything.

"Shall I try to find some rabbit?" Myrna asked.

His chin went down before responding. "They took our bow and arrows," he replied abruptly.

"But I have this," she raised her dagger, drops of water running off the blade.

When he looked to see what she was holding he glared at her. "This is no fucking joke. We need food," he grumbled.

"Then I'll be back with a rabbit," she disputed before turning around and walked into the small clearing. Myrna stopped and turned back around towards The Hound. "And there better be a fire burning when I get back!" she added and his glare only intensified. Myrna continued walking until she was in the pine woods, ignoring his mean looks.

The rain made it unlikely for her to find anything. Still, she had to prove to him that she could hunt with her dagger. Myrna had done it a few times before with it. If it were properly thrown, it could easily kill small game. Every time she had done it, though, the weather had been on her side. Not wandering too far from the clearing, she crept behind every tree and peered around. All she saw were squirrels crawling on the trunks, too far and too small for her to even attempt.

It felt like forever and the only reason she stayed as long as she did was that the pine trees gave her some shelter from the rain. Perhaps it would be better to sleep over here, she thought, but she didn't want to risk starting a forest fire. Nothing was running around for her to catch. Myrna dragged her feet when she turned around and admitted defeat. Earlier she killed a man two times bigger than her, but she couldn't catch a silly rabbit in the fog and rain.

When she entered the clearing she saw The Hound crouching by some sticks that were apparently their fire wood. He was scraping flint over the tinder and grimaced every time he did a stroke. The rain had nearly stopped, but everything was still too wet for a comfortable camp. Everything agitated her at this point.

"No fire yet?" she crossed her arms when she walked up to him, dagger still in one of her hands.

He peered up at her and looked at her hands. "No rabbit?" he mocked as he looked away angrily. "And I'm bloody trying!" he roared and stroked faster only to throw everything down seconds later.

"The only time you try is when everything is as fucking wet as a whore's cunt!" Myrna screamed at him.

The Hound stood up and towered over her. "What do you want me to do!?" he hollered back, spit flying on her face but she didn't dare flinch. "We have no fucking money! No fucking food! No fucking dry place to stay!"

"You didn't have to come with me when I left King's Landing!" she yelped back.

The Hound cackled a mean laugh in her face. "I didn't leave because of you. I was going to leave no matter what so don't think you're so fucking special!"

"I can't be around you right now," she whispered sharply as she turned around hugging herself. There was nowhere to go, though. All she had was a pissed off man to help her survive. For now she decided to would go back to the pine woods and cool off. When she entered she found the biggest trunk and sat next to it while hugging her knees and resting her head against the hard bark. She began breathing heavier and sniffled. It had been a long time since she felt so helpless and alone like the way she felt now. About a year ago when she was brought to the capital was the last time she felt this lonely. Tears ran down her cheeks and she wiped them away, and she had to keep wiping as there was no end to them.

Behind her she heard footsteps softened by the damp grass and she buried her face in her arms. "Go away," she muffled.

"It's better under the trees," The Hound's voice was behind her but he did not sound as angry as he did earlier. "Why are you crying?"

Myrna refused to answer because she knew her voice would be weak and shaky from her sobs. One thing she hated was to be thought as fragile. She just shook her head while keeping it buried away from view.

She could feel his warmth as he sat next to her. He was unusually quiet. Myrna swallowed her sobs and tried to dry her face as best she could. Night had come and it was colder than she thought it would be. The hair on her body all stood up. Myrna wished there was a fire to warm her.

"You shouldn't ask me to build fires anymore. I don't like fire," he hoarsely told her. "When I was small my brother found me playing with one of his toys. It was a little wooden knight and I was a silly little boy who thought that one day I would be a knight like my father and grandfather..." he went on and Myrna raised her head slightly.

She wiped the last of her tears away and sat up straighter as she paid more attention to his voice. "When my brother walked in he did not say anything at all. He just... walked up to me. I thought he was just going to take it away but no. He picked me up instead. My face was pushed into the brazier... and the pain was terrible," his usually hard voice was very soft. It almost sounded as if he were going to start crying with her.

Shock paralyzed her for a few seconds. When she took in his story she slowly turned herself around to look at him. His eyes met hers. She wanted so badly to say something, but she could not think of the right words to say. Myrna broke their gaze at each other and looked down at her lap. She gently placed her dagger on the ground and her hands went up the her collar and she began taking off her cloak.

"What... What are you doing?" The Hound asked with his deep voice slightly trembling.

Myrna faced away again and sat on her knees. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Lift my shirt..." she commanded him.

"Why?" he asked hoarsely but she felt her shirt lift up in the back. His hand froze midway. "How...?" he changed his question.

Now that he had seen she quickly pulled away so her shirt would be free of his hand and fell back down. She gathered her cloak and wrapped herself in it once more before sitting facing him. "It was like Beric said. Your brother knighted mine eight years ago. They were our guests that night, Gregor and his men. I was asked to do some chore or something and I wandered outside to see the gates wide open and there were shouts. I went to see what was going on... and I saw Gregor kill one of his men. I was frightened. I said nothing... until the next morning when I saw my brother Nicholas in chains. Gregor put the blame on my brother and I couldn't keep my stupid mouth shut. In front of everyone I... I called him out. I don't remember what happened right after that. Gregor struck me across the head. He had this weird smile though..." Myrna stopped talking as Gregor's face came to mind. Every other time he had this terrible frown on his face except for that one moment when he had a good look at her. She had almost forgot about it.

"My brother? Smiling? You were probably dreaming..." The Hound rasped. "So... what happened then?"

"I woke up at my friend Desmond's house deep in town. When I walked back to my manor it was on fire..." she paused again. How could she say it? "That's how this happened," she said quickly.

The Hound seemed to want to know more, but he let it drop. "So awhile back when you said you understand... you were not lying," he seemed to be talking more to himself than her.

They were both exhausted and stopped talking about their pasts. Myrna laid down on her side and placed her dagger within arms reach; The Hound leaned against the trunk of a tree and kept his blade near his hip on the ground. She kept her eyes open despite being so tired. In her mind she was going through what happened since they were caught by the Brotherhood, and the conversation she just had with The Hound stood out amongst everything. Somehow she felt they had began to bond with one another, almost the way she had bonded with Desmond. Myrna found herself beginning to care for him. Why else would she had defended him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by some noise within the pine woods, but she ignored them. Myrna attempted to close her eyes and sleep but they opened again. The noises were coming closer and she tried to listen closely to see if she could decipher what it was.

The Hound made a groan as he quickly found his feet, and she heard him pull his sword out of its sheath. Myrna jerked up to see what was happening.

"Don't move!" he bellowed at someone and he was ready to charge.

Not again... Shaken, she peered over her shoulder to see who it was. Myrna's jaw dropped.